Ex-student admits guilt in ID theft case

San Diego  A former Cal State San Marcos student accused of stealing the identities and passwords of 745 students to rig campus elections pleaded guilty Thursday to three federal charges.

Matthew Weaver, 22, of Huntington Beach admitted to wire fraud, access device fraud and unauthorized use of a computer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He made his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge William Gallo in San Diego federal court.

Weaver is scheduled to be sentenced June 17 by U.S. District Judge Larry Alan Burns. He faces 27 to 33 months in federal custody.

In March 2012, Weaver was one of two candidates running for president of Associated Students Inc., the campus’ student council, when the fraud was uncovered. The council president is paid $8,000 a year.

According to court documents, Weaver used a keylogger — a small electronic device that secretly records a computer user’s keystrokes — to steal student passwords. Weaver admitted to casting about 480 votes for himself and friends on the ballot.

Once the fraud was discovered, the student council threw out the election results and started from scratch.

School officials have said it was the largest identity theft case — and the only one of its kind — in the university’s 24-year history.